The use of electrostatic protection covers for electrical connectors is common. Electrical connectors which may provide an interface and electrical connection for a plurality of circuits between two electrical devices are typified by for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,949. Such a connector is normally engaged to a lower printed circuit board and presents conductive elements to be engaged by an electrical device such as another printed circuit board, PC card. The connector allows for an electrical connection to be made between circuits provided by the lower printed circuit board and the upper device. Prior to such an upper device being engaged with the connector it can be important that direct contact with individual conductive elements of the connector is voided. Such contact for example by a person, may be sufficient for electrostatic discharge to occur from the person to some of the conductive elements thereby establishing a flow of electricity through the lower printed circuit board. This may be detrimental to the integrity of the electrical device. Accordingly it is desirable for an electrical connector to be presented before use in a protective manner wherein a grounding of all of the conductive elements is able to be provided so that the effect of any electrostatic discharge is minimised, reduced or eliminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,949 illustrates a protective cover for an electrical connector which consists of a conductive sheet metal material able to engage directly with all of the conductive element simultaneously. The device also presents an upper surface of a kind which allows for a machine engagement to be made with the protective cover for a machine handling of the cover and connector.
As the type of connector with which such an electrostatic protection cover is engaged is of a compressive connection kind (meaning that the conductive elements are compressed upon engagement of the upper electric device to ensure that a good connection is created) the electrostatic cover can take advantage of this compressive connection feature in generating a good connection between the cover and the conductive elements. However with the type of cover as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,949, all of the conductive elements engage simultaneously with a substantially rigid region of the cover. Depending on the number of conductive elements presented from the connector, the downward pressure required to be provided by the cover for engagement to the connector can be undesirably large. The force for applying and retaining such prior art covers is transmitted directly between the pin contact regions of the connector. Such a large force can be undesirable in that it can cause damage to the electrical conductors or create distortion and bending of the lower circuit board during the engagement of the electrostatic protection cover. Likewise, in order to ensure the cover remains engaged with the connector a strong clipping force is required which, when the cover is to be removed, needs to be overcome. The cover can hence also cause undesirable effects during its removal.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrostatic protection cover which overcomes at least the abovementioned disadvantages or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.